Pandora the Poodle has become a Carrboro High School Jaguar, joining other PetPalsNC therapy dogs that have been matched with schools in the CHCCS district. Once a week, Pandora checks in to the office with her handler, Ginny Murray, and they set up in the cafe commons for the lunch period. Despite the commotion of noisy teenagers crowding the space, Pandora stands at calm attention, eyeing her surroundings and edging toward any student who approaches for a quick introduction - or those who settle in for a longer petting session.April Crider, Carrboro High social worker, said that they “borrowed” a therapy dog from Culbreth Middle School earlier in the year, after the death of a student. “The students found the dog to be a great distraction, and it just felt good at that moment to cuddle with her.” Now Carrboro High has its own dog, and Pandora will have a regular schedule. Hopefully, students will come to recognize the powerful benefits the regal poodle can offer, even in the brief time it takes to sit with her and stroke her soft, gray head.
Trained dogs have offered various supports to our students for years, especially as reading buddies in elementary schools. But their presence in middle and high schools is relatively new, and the impact they bring is less tied to academic activities than general emotional and social benefits. Educators and parents have become increasingly aware of the stress and anxiety that take a toll on adolescent and pre-teen students, and the value of using therapy dogs in school settings is more widely recognized.Stefanie Mazva-Cohen, social worker at Culbreth, reached out to PetPalsNC after she learned about the program from its founder, Wendy Stewart. She knew that students at her school would embrace the comforts and reassurance that come from spending time with a familiar pet. In 2015, when Mazva-Cohen introduced the program to Culbreth staff and families, she sent out an email saying, “Culbreth is getting a new therapist!” In fact, Culbreth has two PetPals, Abby and Dutch, and they alternate weeks for their visits.
Many of the PetPal sessions at Culbreth involve one-on-one interactions, often when a child is talking to a counselor or other support person. “If a student is having a particularly hard time, we’ll arrange time with Abby or Dutch,” said Mazva-Cohen. “The child’s petting the dog, I’m petting the dog, and the dog becomes a connections catalyst. A real blessing.”
Culbreth has experienced several tragic losses in recent years, and the dogs became part of the crisis counseling teams. Yet the connections need not be tied to loss or crisis. “There isn’t a child who can’t use fifteen minutes with a dog every week,” Mazva-Cohen said.
Pandora of Carrboro High is just now getting her paw in the door. Most students haven’t met the dog yet, but an Exceptional Children's class experienced the benefits of a therapy dog during Pandora’s second visit. “Our students with special needs LOVE Pandora,” said Melissa Barry, EC system level teacher. “Interaction with a therapy dog not only calms our students, but also enhances their language skills as they talk to Pandora - and about Pandora. We visited with Pandora yesterday, and our students are still talking about the experience today. Our students enjoy petting, walking, watching and interacting with the dog. Interaction with Pandora helps our students extend their abilities - yesterday, we had students walking farther than typical simply because they were walking the dog outside!”As Carrboro High teacher assistant Donna McMillan said, “The brief encounters I had with students petting Pandora I would sum up as pure happiness and joy. And we all need a little of that every day!”
PetPalsNC is a 501(c)3 “dedicated to promoting and supporting the use of animal-assisted therapy and activities for K-12 students to enhance academic, social, emotional, and behavioral growth.” (petpalsnc.org) The program serves numerous Orange County schools. The CHCCS partners are Rashkis Elementary, McDougle Elementary, Phillips Middle, Culbreth Middle and Carrboro High. School counselors and social workers act as liasons to establish and oversee the program at each school. Currently there are more requests for service than there are funds and teams to cover expansion.
